Should you add your resume to an online database?

You may be using online job boards like AgCareers.com to search for jobs and apply, but you should also take advantage of other tools offered to showcase your resume. Resume databases allow you to market yourself to potential employers.  The AgCareers.com Resume Database is free for candidates.  Employers conduct thousands of resume searches EACH month.  By posting your resume in the database, your next career might find you.

Who should post their resume?

The database is a valuable job search tool for:

• Students
• Workers that will be displaced due to downsizing, lay-offs, etc.
• Candidates currently employed outside the ag industry
• Unemployed job seekers
• Candidates that are moving or willing to relocate

Resumes in the AgCareers.com database are not shared with anyone outside of the employers that have access to it.  If you are currently employed in the agriculture, food, natural resources or biotechnology industries and do not want your current employer to find out you are exploring other opportunities, you may not want to post your resume in the database.

Get your resume ready

Employers search databases using keywords and phrases that match the job they are trying to fill. Think about the type of position and industry sector you want to be in and build relevant keywords into your resume.  Look at some job postings in your field and load your resume with some of those words and phrases where they match your experience.

When it is good to go, save your resume as a Word document or PDF file.

Post your resume

You will need to have or create a free job seeker account in order to post a resume in the AgCareers.com database.  You can do this by selecting “Setup your Profile” under the Job Seeker Menu.

If you already have an account, follow these steps to post your resume:

1. Login to your account.Select “Post Your Resume” from the main job seeker menu at the top of the homepage.
2. Fill out the resume profile form on the new page. All fields marked with a red * are required. The fastest way to fill in the “Resume” box is to copy and paste your resume from a Word document.
3. You also have the option to upload a .doc/.docx/.pdf file by utilizing “Upload Resume File” below the resume box. Browse and select your resume from your documents. But make sure you have also pasted the content into the resume box so that your data is searchable by employers.
4. Click “Preview Resume.” If you need to make changes, simply hit the back button. If you are satisfied, click “Save & Edit” at the bottom.

Your copy/paste resume may not maintain all of the formatting like bolding, bulleting and font size, so it’s best to keep it simple. This is nothing to be alarmed about since most employers are only searching your resume based on a particular keyword and will examine your attached resume file for details.

Be sure that you keep your resume fresh by updating it frequently. Employers typically don’t pay much attention to resumes that haven’t been updated in three to six months.  Updating your resume does not mean conducting a complete overhaul; simple changes like adding and deleting punctuation will alter the last modified date quickly.  You can access your resume to edit it at any time and add additional resumes; click on “Manage Resumes.”

When your job search is over and you find yourself happily employed, delete your resume from the online system. You don’t want to run the risk of your new employer finding your resume and thinking that you’re looking to switch jobs so soon.

Get started now—Log into your account or setup a new account.

Click here to download our AgCareers.com Job Seeker Guide.